FAQs

Rubbish FAQs

When will you collect rubbish during the holidays?

You can check out what day your collection is here –We also advertise it in the local free papers, and on the Council’s website and Facebook page. You can also ring the Council on 07 838 6699 for more information.

Normally, if one of the collection days falls on a public holiday, collection will be one day later for the rest of that week.

What about dog strikes?

If your bag has been torn apart by an animal please inform the Council on 07 838 6699 and we will ensure it is cleaned up. You can reduce the problem of animals getting into your rubbish by wrapping food scraps and not putting your bags on the kerb before collection day.

If dog strikes are a persistent problem in your area, report it to the Council on 07 838 6699. It is illegal for dogs to roam the streets unattended and not on a lead. Where possible, get information about the dog, such as the property the dog has come from, and the colour and breed of the dog, before contacting our team.

Someone has dumped rubbish outside my property and it has a sticker on it. What now?

Phone 0800 10 10 10 and they will help to identify where the rubbish came from. Once the address is identified, the contractor will organise to pick up the bag and return it to the address that it came from and educate the offenders.
If it is from a specific address (i.e. tenants that may have moved out) and if the refuse is anything inorganic such as furniture, carpets, bits of cars etc, email us at info@hcc.govt.nz or contact us on 07 838 6999 and we will contact the owner of the property and get it cleaned up.

Somebody has dumped rubbish outside my property. Can you help?

Phone 07 838 6699 to report this to the Council and we will investigate and try to identify where the rubbish has come from and organise for the rubbish to be collected disposed of appropriately.

Any information you can provide on who dumped the rubbish may help us to issue a fine.

If it is from a specific address (ie. tenants that may have moved out) and if the refuse is anything inorganic such as furniture, carpets, bits of cars etc, email us at info@hcc.govt.nz or contact us on 07 838 6999 and we will contact the owner of the property and get it cleaned up.

I’m in a shop but also have a residential part so shouldn’t my rubbish be collected?

If you are paying commercial rates, your rubbish will need to be picked up by a private contractor. However if you are paying both residential and commercial rates you are entitled to a collection, phone 07 838 6699 to discuss.

How much am I paying for my rubbish to be collected?

Each property rated ‘residential’ pays a portion of its rates towards the rubbish and recycling collection. Property rates are based on valuations so the rubbish portion is different for each property.

I think my rubbish bags were missed, what do I do now?

There are many reasons why your rubbish may not have been collected, the collector sometimes misses it during the collection, or maybe it wasn’t put out correctly.

Remember, each household can only put out two bags of rubbish and up to two crates of recycling each week.

If you did everything correctly but your rubbish and/or recycling hasn’t been collected please call us on 07 838 6699 or email info@hcc.govt.nz. Make sure to include your address and a phone number so we can get in contact.

Why did they only take two of my bags?

You are only able to put out a maximum of two rubbish bags per week. Please take any extra bags to the Transfer Station.

How come the boxes of rubbish and waste on the kerb were not collected?

Help us to help you by using the black bags for rubbish and the official green bins for recycling. This is a health and safety requirement as the contractor is picking up rubbish and recycling from over 52,000 households each week. Boxes of rubbish and other waste not in Council-approved containers will not be collected. Hamilton City Council does not provide an inorganic collection service. If you have rubbish (more than two black bags) or other waste such as furniture, bric a brac etc, it can be disposed of at the Refuse Transfer Station. Charges do apply.

Recycling FAQs

Why can’t I recycle plate glass?

Some plate glass has lead in it. Window glass is a different type of glass and is not compatible with bottle/jar glass and will contaminate the bottle/jar glass if recycled together.

What can’t I recycle?

Where do the recyclables go?

What happens with wind-blown recyclables?

The Council’s contractors will endeavour to pick up all wind-blown recyclables. Everyone can help by squashing all plastics and tin cans flat and putting them at the bottom of the crate. Glass bottles can then go on top.

My recycling bin has been stolen

It is always a good idea to use a permanent marker to write your street address on the crate (at least two sides) in big print.

My recycling bin is not big enough for my recyclables

Each property is eligible to put out up to two recycling bins. Extra recycling bins can be purchased from Waste Management in Edgar Street, Frankton or from the Council’s Customer Service desk in the Municipal building on Anglesea St. Or you can recycle the extras at the Transfer Station in Lincoln Street at no cost. Phone 07 838 6699 for assistance.

I just moved into this rental property and there is no recycling bin

Every home in Hamilton has a recycling bin supplied to it. If the property has recently been sold or tenanted, then the recycling bin has probably gone with the previous owner/occupier. It will be up to the new occupier to purchase a replacement crate from Waste Management Ltd, 14 Edgar Street, Frankton or from the Council’s Customer Service desk in the Municipal building on Anglesea St.. Phone 07 838 6699 for assistance.

Each property is eligible to put out up to two recycling bins.

I haven’t got a recycling bin

Every home in Hamilton has a recycling bin supplied to it. If the property has recently been sold or tenanted, the recycling bin has probably gone with the previous owner/occupier. It will be up to the new occupier to purchase a replacement recycling bin from Waste Management Ltd, 14 Edgar Street, Frankton between 8am-5pm, Monday to Friday. Phone 0800 10 10 10 for assistance. Each property is eligible to put out up to two recycling bins; an additional bin can be purchased from Waste Management Ltd.